May Newsletter 2019

I Day Registration Still Open!

Is is officially I Day month and registration is still open! Follow the link below for all details. This is our largest event of the year and you do not want to miss it!

2019 Pittsburgh I Day

A Message from our President

Spring has sprung and we are only two weeks away from the 93 ^rd annual Pittsburgh I-Day held at the Wyndham Grand Hotel. “Insurance Day” dates back to 1926 and continues to be the premiere networking and advertising event for the insurance industry in Western Pennsylvania. With the help of the Insurance Club of Pittsburgh board of directors and the I-Day committee, this event has grown year after year and strives to promote our industry. Once again this year we will have three continuing education classes, a panel discussion in the afternoon, and various prizes awarded throughout the day. New this year is our “Wine Down Suite” which will include a wine tasting beginning at 2pm. Our keynote speaker this year is comedian Vinny Fasline. Vinny is well known within the Pittsburgh insurance community as he began a career in the insurance industry after graduating from college and served as a board member of our club. Using motivation and inspiration he had obtained a few years prior when surviving a brain tumor, Vinny ultimately pursued his lifelong dream of stand-up comedy. He now performs regularly at several comedy clubs in Hollywood, California and is a great example of our “Connectarian” theme for this year’s I-Day.

I-Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. I attended my very first I-Day while still in high school in 2003. Fortunately for me that day I was able to stand beside Dr. Juan Carlos Puyana, a UPMC trauma surgeon, who was being awarded the “Big I Award” from Independent Insurance Agents of Pittsburgh for outstanding public service. Just a few months prior, Dr. Puyana had saved my life, performing emergency surgery after I had sustained a life threatening injury during a high school football game. I will always remember that day as I was first introduced to our insurance community and the unique bond that exists among individuals with varying professions and even amongst competitors. The Insurance Club of Pittsburgh is a family. These relationships are unique to our organization and I’m continually reminded of this when hearing from individuals who regularly serve in our industry on a regional and national level. The Insurance Club of Pittsburgh has served a vital role in my personal professional development and I encourage everyone to get involved. I look forward to seeing our club grow and prosper for years to come and am honored to follow in my father’s footsteps and serve as President of our club.

The Presidential Dinner will again be held on the eve of I-Day on May 15 ^th . I encourage all members and non-members of the club to attend this dinner to kick off the I-Day festivities. This dinner will be held at the Wyndham Grand with a cocktail hour at 6:30pm and dinner at 7:30pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased through our website: http://www.insclubpgh.com/index.php/i-day

Michael Lewandowski

Wagner Agency

President of the Insurance Club of Pittsburgh